Watery Interlude 9: The Bard's Leap
by Lithium223
Summary: Muz-Lari and her friends discover the Bard's Leap. How will she scare them this time? Characters: Muz-Lari, Ko'va, Lashur Urot (my ocs), Inigo the Brave, Bikhai, Vilkas


Muz-Lari stood on a stone platform overlooking a pool of water. She, with the help of Inigo, Ko'va, and Bikhai, had just helped Lashur and Vilkas clear out a Forsworn encampment.

She could still feel the echo of _feim_ in her mind. She had left Ko'va and Bikhai by the word wall to open the chest hidden there. She could hear Inigo looting the forsworn corpses, while Lashur flirted with Vilkas. Staring at the water below her, she could feel power,_ feim_, building in her throat.

"Hey! Don't stand so close to the edge!"

Muz-Lari was pulled from her thought by Vilkas' shout. She turned around to look at the stern nord. Muz-Lari noticed that Vilkas, Lashur, and Inigo were all standing around the base of the platform. When did they get there?

"Why?" Muz-Lari asked.

"It's not safe."

"Then why is there a ledge above a pool of water?"

"It's the Bard's Leap," Vilkas explained. "A long time ago, bards would jump off the ledge while reciting stories or songs."

"That sounds exciting," Inigo said.

"Yeah," Lashur agreed. "But why? What was in it for them?"

Vilkas shrugged.

"Honor and fame, I guess. Doesn't matter, most of the people who tried, died. And no one's attempted it in decades."

Muz-Lari stopped paying attention to the conversation and looked back over the edge. Feim was still pulling at her. Then an idea came to her mind. She walked off the platform and passed her companions.

As Muz-Lari walked several feet away from the platform, Ko'va and Bikhai walked down the stone stairs to rejoin the group.

Ko'va saw Muz-Lari walking in her direction with a mischievous air about her. Ko'va's tawny ears perked up, alert.

"What is it," Bikhai asked, concerned by Ko'va's sudden change in demeanor.

"Muz-Lari is up to something." Ko'va walked ahead of Bikhai, slightly concerned for her friend. "Dreamer, what are you doing?"

Muz-Lari cocked her head at Ko'va as the tawny gold khajiit stopped in front of her. She waited until Bikhai stood next to Ko'va, then grinned.

"Watch."

Muz-Lari then turned and started to sprint toward the platform. As she ran, she briefly heard snippets of words from her friends.

_'Wha!-',_

_'Drea-!',_

_'Mu-!',_

_'Has sh-'_

As she ran, power built in her throat again. When she was two steps away from the edge of the platform, she released it.

"FEIM."

Then she dived off of the Bard's Leap.

Vilkas dropped his jaw, Lashur face palmed, Inigo rushed to look over the edge of the platform, and Ko'va and Bikhai ran to the others.

"Do you see her," Ko'va panted as she joined Inigo, who was kneeling on the platform.

She laid her hand on his shoulder for balance as she leaned over him to look.

"Yes," Inigo replied and pointed to a spot in the pool. "See, she's right there. But I don't see her moving."

"Though, that doesn't necessarily mean anything bad," Bikhai said, leaning over Ko'va and trying to sound comforting. "Muz-Lari is an argonian after all. She won't drown. And she does like to stay submerged in water for long periods of time."

"She could still be injured," Vilkas sighed.

Lashur said nothing as she looked over her companions, her gaze fixated on the pool below. Several heart beats went by and Lashur held her breath as she waited for the earth toned head of Muz-Lari to rise.

Muz-Lari opened her eyes. She didn't know when she closed them. She rested a hand and her tail against the bottom of the pool and looked up. She could make out the far away form of her friends on the platform through the ripples. Then a flash of thought passed through her.

She just jumped off a cliff. Into a small pool of water. And she lived.

Muz-Lari had to stop herself from laughing water into her lungs. Adrenaline was still pulsing in her veins, so she stayed near the bottom of the pool and let her gills breathe as her chest slowed.

After a few moments, Muz-Lari pushed off the bottom of the pool and swam up. As her head broke the water, an apparition appeared.

"Congratulations, young one. It's been a long time since someone attempted the Bard's Leap. Even longer since someone survived it."

Muz-Lari swam to the edge of the pool and pulled herself out of it.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Azzadal," the ghost replied. "Though I have to say, as brave as your jump was, I don't think your friends appreciated it."

Muz-Lari looked behind her to look at her friends. And Azzadal's statement appeared to be true. She could make out expressions of relief, exasperation, and bemusement on their faces. She turned back to Azzadal and shrugged.

"They'll get it over it. Eventually."

Azzadal laughed.


End file.
